What do we know about psychological thrillers? They’re mysterious, dark, and filled with complex characters with so many layers that you may require a shovel. Watching a psychological thriller movie is almost similar to entering the mind as it makes you question your reality.
So, without any further delays, let’s start our journey with the best psychological thriller movies on Hulu; trust me, you won’t regret taking this trip since it will screw up your brain.
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Joker (2019)
- Stars: Robert De Niro, Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beats
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Writers: Scott Silver, Tod Phillips, Bob Kane
- IMDb: 8.4/10
- Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
- Runtime: 122 minutes
Does society create monsters, or or monsters reveal the true colors of society? Well, we’ll get our answer in Joker, a dark story about the difficulties people have with their mental health, loneliness, and abuse, and how long it takes for a person to become a monster.
The movie follows the story of Arthur Fleck, a failing stand-up comedian with mental health issues residing in the grim, crime-ridden city of Gotham. Arthur becomes insane and becomes the iconic Joker after experiencing much suffering and societal disdain.
As the Joker’s power rises in Arkham, societal unrest happens, and law enforcement, under the direction of James Gordon, struggles to stop him.
Parasite (2019)
- Stars: Lee Sun-kyun, Song Kang-ho, Cho Yeo-jeong
- Director: Bong Joon Ho
- Writers: Han Jin-won, Bong Joon-ho
- IMDb: 8.5/10
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Runtime: 132 minutes.
Parasite is a cinematic masterpiece that deserves an Oscar, and an Oscar is what it got!
The Kim family is impoverished but manages to con their way into employment with the rich Park family. The Kims pose as unrelated to each other, extremely competent people offering various services to penetrate the Park household.
Parasite is wonderfully complex and eerie and looks at issues of inequality, social class, and the effects of the growing wealth disparity.
Zodiac (2007)
- Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo
- Director: David Fincher
- Writers: Robert Graysmith, James Vanderbilt
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Genre: Drama, Crime, Mystery
- Runtime: 157 minutes
The movie centers on a newspaper cartoonist, Robert Graysmith, who develops an obsession with cracking the Zodiac Killer case. Reporter Paul Avery and Inspector David Toschi also get involved in the case to track down the murderer and prosecute him.
Zodiac, in the meantime, continues to kill victims while teasing the authorities with cryptic messages, ciphers, and threatening phone calls.
Based on the nonfiction book “Zodiac” by Robert Graysmith, the film explores the true story of the San Francisco Bay Area’s actual Zodiac Killer case, which took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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Phone Booth (2002)
- Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- Writers: Larry Cohen
- IMDb: 7.1/10
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Runtime: 81 minutes
Stu Shepard is a dishonest publicist whose life takes a horrible turn when he takes a public phone call and ends up stranded by a sniper, psychologically tormenting him to face the repercussions of his lies and wrongdoings
Phone Booth film is placed in and around a New York City phone booth, creating a cramped and anxious environment. The movie blends the themes of morality, responsibility, and the results of decisions.
Run (2020)
- Stars: Kiera Allen, Sarah Paulson, Sara Sohn
- Director: Aneesh Chaganty
- Writers: Sev Ohanian, Aneesh Chaganty
- IMDb: 6.7/10
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Runtime: 90 minutes
Can a mother’s love become an oppressive and frustrating set of secrets? How about you and I find this out in this compelling psychological thriller?
Diane Sherman is a mother who, because of several health problems, raises her teenage daughter Chloe alone. Chloe’s mounting concerns about her mother’s past lead her to start an investigation from which she discovers several horrible truths.
The story gets suspenseful making its spot among the best psychological thriller movies on Hulu. It explores the issues of deception, trust, and the desperation of human beings to feel loved and protected.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)
- Stars: Kristine Froseth, Ariela Barer, Lukas Gage
- Director: Daniel Goldhaber
- Writers: Jordan Sjol, Ariela Barer, Daniel Goldhaber
- IMDb: 7.0/10
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Runtime: 104 minutes
Sеt in Wеst Tеxas, How to Blow Up a Pipеlinе cеntеrs on a gang of fеarlеss еnvironmеntal activists who dеvisе a bold schеmе to damagе an oil pipеlinе in ordеr to raisе awarеnеss of thе dirе situation on thе planеt.
How to Blow Up a Pipеlinе is a fictitious story; howеvеr, it is basеd on thе samе-titlеd book written in 2021 by Swеdish еnvironmеntal justicе activist Andrеas Malm.
Thе moviе madе its world prеmiеrе at thе 2022 Toronto Intеrnational Film Fеstival and еarnеd praisе from critics for еffеctivеly utilizing its platform to convеy issuеs that arе as important now as thеy havе еvеr bееn.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
- Stars: Cate Blanchett, Bradley Cooper, Toni Collette
- Director: Guillermo der Toro
- Writers: Kim Morgan, Guillermo del Toro, William Lindsay Gresham
- IMDb: 7.0/10
- Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
- Runtime: 150 minutes
Does the thirst for power come with a price? Nightmare Alley features the consequence of greed for power and money.
The story revolves around Stanton “Stan” Carlisle, a charming but ethically dubious guy with a dark past. Stan becomes enthralled with the world of mentalism and trickery after joining a touring carnival.
His ambitions cause him to mislead and deceive others around him as he moves up the ranks, including rich socialite Molly Cahill and psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter.
Personal Shopper (2016)
- Stars: Sigrid Bouaziz, Lars Eidinger, Kristen Stewart
- Director: Olivier Ossayas
- Writers: Olivier Ossayas
- IMDb: 6.1/10
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Runtime: 105 minutes
What will happеn if wе all start talking to thе dеad? Will it be a balm to our griеf to offеr comfort in thе midst of loss, or will it just prolong thе pain?
A supеrmodеl’s pеrsonal shoppеr, Maurееn, is adamant about staying in Paris thrее months after hеr twin brothеr passed away from a hеrеditary cardiac condition. Lеwis, a mеdium, had assurеd hеr that hе would show hеr a sign from thе dеad.
Bеing a mеdium hеrsеlf, Maurееn is rеquеstеd to look for him at thе homе that his girlfriеnd is currеntly attеmpting to sеll. Maurееn bеgins rеcеiving tеxt mеssagеs from an unknown sourcе, but shе is unablе to idеntify his whеrеabouts.
The Mandela Effect (2019)
- Stars: Aleksa Palladino, Charlie Hofheimer, Robin Lord Taylor
- Director: David Guy Levy, Benjamin Epps
- Writers: David Guy Levy, Benjamin Epps, Steffen Schlachtenhaufen
- IMDb: 5.8/10
- Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
- Runtime: 79 minutes
The Mandela Effect explores the concept of the Mandela Effect, a phenomenon where someone thinks their warped memories are real memories.
Brendan develops an obsession with the Mandela Effect as he finds differences in people’s memories of certain historical events. He struggles with navigating the boundary between memory and alternate realities as he digs more into the mystery, distorting his reality even more.
The film explores how shared experiences and collective memory impact our perception of the world while blending psychological tension to keep you at the edge of your seat.
No One Will Save You (2023)
- Stars: Elizabeth Kaluev, Kaitlyn Dever, Zack Duhame
- Director: Brian Duffield
- Writers: Brian Duffield
- IMDb: 6.3/10
- Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
- Runtime: 93 minutes
Brynn, a devastated seamstress who lives alone, meets humanoid aliens that invade her village and use parasite critters to subjugate the locals. While fending off the alien threats, Brynn learns dark facts about her upbringing and the alien influence on her neighborhood.
After a bizarre adventure involving doppelgängers and psychic probes, Brynn eventually overcomes her trauma.
Every Breath You Take (2021)
- Stars: Michelle Monaghan, Casey Affleck, Sam Claflin
- Director: Vaughn Stein
- Writers: David Murray
- IMDb: 5.3/10
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Drama
- Runtime: 105 minutes
Does a shared tragedy establish a connection or only pave the way for something darker?
Every Breath You Take centers on psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Harper as he manages the fallout after a patient’s untimely death. He offers assistance to the sibling who is still alive, James.
The film delves into the fine line that separates comfort from obsession as grief and guilt entwine, offering a psychological thriller that deserves to be watched ASAP!
Wrapping Up!
If you enjoy the tension in scary movies but are too afraid to watch them, psychological thrillers are for you. They have the same tension, complexity, and gore but better. These films are like a mirror reflecting on our minds.
So, don’t wait and watch the above-mentioned best psychological thriller and sad movies on Hulu that will leave you exhilarated but in a good way. Happy Streaming!
